100 Years of Music That Defined Arizona

"Not alone for gold and silver / Is Arizona great / But with graves of heroes sleeping / All the land is consecrate!"— "Arizona March Song"

The goal of finding Arizona's 100 greatest songs was hardly easy. We asked our readers to tell us what songs have defined Arizona over the past century. As we combed through e-mail submissions, one thing became clear: Arizona's musical heritage is as diverse, fascinating, and complicated as the people who live here.

From the early Latino folk music and cowboy laments to the funky strut of the Broadway R&B circuit to the jangle pop of Mill Ave to protest songs of today, Arizona has never been in lockstep with national trends, instead offering a diverse — sometimes obscure — sound that refuses to be easily categorized.

In addition to submissions, we dove into New Times archives, consulted historians, musicians, record collectors, scoured blogs, and slipped into YouTube rabbit holes to complete this list, focusing on artists you might've heard any given night in a dusty nightclub or bar.